Former leading New Zealand publisher and bookseller, and widely experienced judge of both the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, talks about what he is currently reading, what impresses him and what doesn't, along with chat about the international English language book scene, and links to sites of interest to booklovers.

"We are excited to be bringing Amazon Books to Southport in Chicago," company spokeswoman Deborah Bass said. The online retailer currently operates an Amazon Books store in Seattle, Wash., and has previously announced plans for locations in San Diego , Calif., and Portland, Ore.Reaction to the news is not all positive: "Replacing a locally owned restaurant with an outpost of the most valuable retailer in the world--worth an estimated $250 billion--could disappoint neighbors who want to keep the Southport Corridor diverse," DNAinfo Chicago commented.Shelf Awareness